Apps for the Museum Lover

I haven’t been to as many museums as I’d like to, but with these apps – I can check ’em out from home and decide where to go first!

A day trip to a museum is great fun and a chance to expand your knowledge but sometimes it can all feel a bit too overwhelming. You spend a large part of the day walking around with a paper map, trying to work out the best route so that you don’t miss an important exhibition. Then there’s the quest to see a famous painting or to access a special event. This is no longer a problem as most museums are now offering apps that provide you with your own personal tour guide from your very phone.

Below are a collection of the best apps to enhance your museum experience:

MoMA’s app is a great way to experience one of the most famous art museums in the world. The app offers audio tours for both adult and children, opening up a whole new way for children to experience MoMA. MoMA’s app can also be used as map and general guide to the museum, helping you find special events with just a few taps. The app also offers audio and video podcasts that can even be enjoyed at home.

The National Gallery app is the perfect companion for a day exploring the museum but also doubles as a learning tool, as it offers a selection of the works they have on display along with descriptions and information about the artists. The app includes maps to help you plan your route around the museum and information on all of the current events taking place. A really nice feature about this app is that it contains copies of the paintings on display and allows users to zoom in and see pictures in more detail.

AMNH is an app designed to make your day out at the American Museum of Natural History run smoothly. This app helps you to organise your day, allowing you to book tickets, plan an optimal route around the museum and even share highlights from your day on social media. The app also offers a range of quizzes for those who want to test their knowledge at the end of the day.

The State Hermitage app allows you to plan your visit from your phone before you even leave home, planning your route and learning more about all that is on offer. You can search for different paintings and learn about the artists all from your phone. Once you arrive at the museum you can use your phone as a virtual tour guide, allowing you to set your own pace for the day. The app even allows users to save images they saw throughout the day and use them to send as e-cards and share on social media.

The Louvre in Paris recently came out with a new app ‘My Visit to the Louvre’ designed to act as a tour guide from your phone. The app helps to guide you around the museum using a 3D map making it far easier than using a boring old 2D paper map and even offers itinerary suggestions. There are also 600 audio commentaries on the museum’s artwork and exhibit rooms.